Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning

Our series highlighting Wolfpack Students and their research has covered, up to this point, some of our high school and university students. Today, we hear from two S. Florida middle school students, both of whom will be starting the 8th grade this coming school year but who are doing incredible research related to space and their individual passions. Arnav Joseph is the lead on two biological papers that will be presented in Athens at the COSPAR conference. His work is investigating bacteria that could be potentially useful in recycling and food supply for astronauts on The ISS or future long term missions. He also is looking into the best growing conditions for lunar colonies. Daniel Levy has a passion for artificial intelligence in its many forms and his work on the use of Micro:Bits as an early coding tool will be implemented in upcoming HAB and CubeSat missions. Whoever thought middle school students couldn’t do this level of work should think again. Of course, stay tuned after for our takeaway, and for information on how your student can join the WCDT.

Today we meet with two South Florida members of the Wolfpack, both of whom are rising juniors in their respective high schools. Theodore Ouyang, a student at Suncoast High School, has been working for several years on his CubeSat proposal, the FlipSat, which seeks to address the mitigation of bit flips in space. When his proposal was not selected by NASA’s CSLI for funding, teammate William Mayville, who attends American Heritage, made it his mission to solve the funding issues that preclude many capable students and teams from achieving a launch. Today we will learn how the combination of their efforts may change the way CubeSats can be used as a disruptive educational tool.

For information on sponsoring FlipSat and WOLF-C:  click here

For information on attending the SmallSat Education Conference here: 

Today we meet with recent UF grad, Haley Boles. Haley earned her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Cell Science.  Before transferring to UF, she attended her local community college where she earned my Associate of Arts with Honors as well as her Certificate of International Studies.  Haley loves the fields of both space biology and astrobiology which is reflected in her research experience.  She is a three -time NASA intern as well as an active undergraduate researcher at UF. She has participated in many other NASA programs including National Community College Aerospace Scholars, or NCAS, the L’SPACE Academy, and the Space Chile Challenge.  During her free time, Hayley also enjoys restoring vintage gaming systems, tending to my 100+ houseplants, and baking. Hers is a fantastic story and we hope you will stay tuned after for our takeaways.

Tarek A. Elgohary,  an assistant professor in the  UCF’s mechanical and aerospace engineering department. He is the director of the Astrodynamics and Space Robotics Laboratory. Before joining UCF, he was a postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M and a visiting scholar in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the American University in Cairo and his master's degree and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University. His research interests are in astrodynamics, optimal control, robotics and space situational awareness.   We look forward to a long relationship with Dr. Elgohary as our Wolfpack continues to dream of the Amaris Lunar Rover, and , as always, we hope you will stay tuned after the episode. https://mae.ucf.edu/ UCF website 

Today, Kevin and I meet with Andres Permuy, a third-year Physics Major and Math minor at Georgetown University. He aspires to receive a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering/Robotics to pursue a career in Advanced Robotics and Automation.  Andres’ current goal is to work with automation that can be utilized in the space industry for extraterrestrial exploration and excavation.  Currently, Andres helps lead the Georgetown University Space Initiative as the Co-President and conducts space policy research at the Beyond Earth Institute. We look forward to working with him on several projects including the Amaris Lunar Rover. Stay tuned after for our take away.

Georgetown University Space Initiative 

Aerospace and Innovation Academy website

Today Kevin and I meet with Sara Alvarado who is a current  economics and industrial engineering undergrad working towards her masters in Industrial Engineering at The University of Central Florida. In addition to her school load, Sara works at Universal Orlando Resort as an Industrial Engineer, Hailing from Colombia, she always dreamed big but knew her options were limited in her home country. The US has given her the career opportunities and the reach to empower many more to look up and imagine what could be, and she has kickstarted this by being the national chair of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS). SEDS is a student-run non-profit that fosters the development of the interdisciplinary future leaders in space, with close to 100 chapters nationwide. This year Sara has taken a total of 18 students, with over half from Minority Serving Institutions, to the Satellite and ISDC conferences in Washington, DC where they have presented, networked, and even gotten internships on the spot. Sara sees her future job to be in space tourism, and is excited about helping many others become spectators of our blue dot.

SmallSat Education Conference

Aerospace and Innovation Academy

For those who follow our social media or are part of the Aerospace and Innovation Academy family, you know our students do real-world experiential aerospace on a regular basis. Students find a place in the industry to capitalize on their passions and interests. Today’s two featured students have taken these opportunities to a whole new level. Paul Kiesling, a freshman at Exeter Academy, returns to share about his current research and entrepreneurial endeavors while Jasmin Schauer, a college student at Florida Atlantic University’s Honors College, discusses her work with osteoblasts as well as her presentations at recent conferences.

In what we hope to be a series, we will interview  students who are actively engaged in setting their personal bars high in order to pursue their futures. As always, stay tuned after the episode for our takeaway!

AIA website: www.aerospacehigh.org

Today Kevin and I meet with Megan Wnek who is entering her 4th year as an Aerospace Engineering student with an Electrical Engineering minor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.  She has interned as a structural engineer for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics on the F-35 program and most recently, Northrop Grumman Space Systems as a systems engineering intern. During her time at UF, she has been involved in and led teams for multiple industry-sponsored design competitions including the NASA Student Launch Initiative, the NASA Tournament Lab Exploring Hell competition, and the Fairchild Growing Beyond Earth maker contest, in which her team placed in the top 5. Megan is passionate about exploration and its importance to the world and is striving for a career that will make the earth a better and safer place for future generations."

We hope you will stay tuned after the episode for our takeaways.

Aerospace and Innovation Academy website:  www.aerospacehigh.org

In an ongoing effort to prepare our students for their futures, today Kevin and I meet with Joseph Blassberg.  Joe began his counseling career at American University in Washington, D.C. then went on to serve as the Director of College Counseling at Milken Community Schools in Los Angeles.. There,  he implemented a college counseling curriculum and provided students and families with grade-level workshops, panel discussions, and college essay workshops. Most recently, Joe was the Director of College Counseling and Academic Dean at The Buckley School in Los Angeles, CA, Mr. Blassberg's accomplishments at Buckley are many; he guided thousands of students successfully through the academic advising and college process, and  he also brought new programs and innovations such as the annual college application and essay workshop, PSAT 8/9, and assisted in the redesign and revision of the Upper School profile and the college counseling materials. During his time at Buckley and Milken, Mr. Blassberg helped to place students in some of the world’s top colleges and universities including Amherst, Brown, Cal Tech, Cambridge, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, McGill, MIT, Oxford, Penn, Princeton, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Williams, and Yale.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Blassberg has visited over 500 college campuses in the United States and abroad. He has also participated in the Institute on College Admissions sponsored jointly by Harvard University and The College Board, and he has presented at conferences and sat on committees for the National Association for College Admission Counseling

Mr. Blassberg has now joined The Greene School in West Palm Beach, Fl as the Director of College Counseling as the school begins its high school journey this Fal/The Greene School family is sure to benefit from his wisdom, and we know our listeners will as well. Stay tuned.